Queen of the Darkness

when she recognized the man. Osvald. One of Alexandra's escorts. Mother Night.
    "Can you keep your balance?" Falonar asked a moment before he let go and stepped away from her.
    At least he asked, Surreal thought as she used Craft to prevent a fast slide off the roof.
    Graysfang dashed in low, as if he were trying to hamstring Osvald.
    Surreal saw the flash of Osvald's Opal Jewel. She threw a Gray shield around Graysfang, fast enough to prevent him from receiving a killing blast of power but not in time to keep him from being knocked over by the clash of Gray and Opal strength.
    Seeing the wolf go down, Wilhelmina screamed and clawed at the hand clamped around her arm. Osvald swung around and hit her with enough force to send her to the ground, stunned. Then he turned to make another attack on Graysfang, who had gotten shakily to his feet.
    "Tell the wolf to back off," Falonar said as he called in his Eyrien longbow and nocked an arrow.
    Surreal quickly obeyed—and felt relief when Graysfang responded. As kindred howls and roars alerted everyone in the Hall, she could sense the flood of furious male strength coming toward them from all directions. And she sensed the cold feminine power coming in its wake.
    Falonar took aim.
    "Put it through the bastard," Surreal whispered.
    "We don't know what's going on down there," Falonar replied.
    Don't we? Surreal thought viciously. What more do you need to see?
    As Osvald turned back toward Wilhelmina, Falonar loosed the arrow, sending it through the man's left knee.
    Osvald went down, screaming.
    Grabbing Surreal's left arm, Falonar dropped them off the roof—a jump barely slowed by his spread wings.
    "Guard the woman," Falonar said as he ran toward Osvald, the Eyrien bow now replaced by a bladed stick.
    "I can—"
    "Do as you're told."
    No time to argue. Calling in her meanest knife, Surreal ran toward Wilhelmina. She saw Osvald grasp Wilhelmina's ankle with his left hand and cursed his cleverness. Maybe someone else would know how to do it, but as long as he had physical contact with Wilhelmina, she couldn't throw a protective shield around the young woman. Then she saw sunlight flash on the short knife in his right hand—and knew by the mixture of rage and triumph on his face that the poison on that knife would be quick and lethal.
    Another flash in the sunlight. As Osvald's hand arced down to drive the knife into Wilhelmina's leg, Falonar sliced through the wristbones as easily as if they were soft butter, then turned the blade of his stick in order to catch the severed hand and the knife it still held and flip it away from Wilhelmina.
    The bladed stick flashed down again, severing the hand that grasped Wilhelmina's ankle.
    A moment later, Surreal reached Wilhelmina—and Lucivar and most of the First Circle males poured into the courtyard. So did Karla and Gabrielle.
    So did Alexandra and her entourage.
    It didn't turn out quite like you'd planned, did it? Surreal thought as she watched Alexandra scan the courtyard and turn sickly pale. Vanishing her knife, she placed one hand on Wilhelmina's back, the other hand on Graysfang as soon as he wobbled up to her, and created a Gray shield around the three of them. It probably wasn't necessary, but there was no reason to take chances. She looked at Falonar, who had positioned himself so that, the next time, the bladed stick would come down on the bastard's neck. She put a shield around him, too. She felt his surprise and pleasure when her shield settled around him—and wondered why he was afraid.
    Gabrielle rushed over to help the footman while Karla, without actually touching Osvald, used healing Craft to seal the severed blood vessels.
    "What's going on here?" Alexandra demanded, the sharp edge in her voice sounding more frightened than angry. "Why are you attacking one of my escorts?"
    "Did you send him?" Lucivar asked, an odd note in his voice.
    "I sent him to bring a gift to Wilhelmina," Alexandra said.
    There was something queer and bitter about Lucivar's laugh. "And the bastard delivered it, didn't he?"
    "When I went to deliver the gift, Lady Wilhelmina wasn't feeling well," Osvald whimpered. "I offered to walk with her so that she could get some fresh air. Then that creature attacked us."
    Lucivar looked at Osvald, then at Falonar. "If that bastard says anything else, cut his tongue out."
    Falonar looked shocked, but nodded.
    "How dare you?" Alexandra said. "You're so quick to make demands to me about controlling my